Cloth tentering machine



Dec. 29, 1936. c. H. WEBER 2,065,914

CLOTH TENTERING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 30, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Inventor ag; er-

Dec. 29, 1936; Q WEBER 2,065,914

CLOTH TENTERING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 30, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Patented Dec. 29, 19 36 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTH TENTERING MACHINE Charles H. Weber, Bloomfield, N. J., assignor to John E. Peterson, Irvington, N. J.

8 Claims.

My invention relates generally to cloth tentering machines, and particularly to the endless chains which carry the automatic cloth-gripping devices or tenter clips, and an important object of my invention is to provide for smoother action and longer life, for machines of this type by providing novel chains with lubricating and constructional features whereby the track and the wall surrounding the track and confining the clips will be adequately lubricated and the clips may be readily removed without breaking the continuity of the chain. The subject matter of the present application is a division of the subject matter in my co-pending application Serial No. 654,284, filed January 30, 1933, and entitled 'Ienter clip.

In the drawings:-

Figure l is a side elevational view of a plurality of adjacent tenter clips showing the same connected to one form of the. chain of my invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of one of the tenter clips showing the connection of one form of chain therewith.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view through a portion of one of the tenter clips showing its arrangement relative to the track and to one form of my chain.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the slide link members.

Figure 5 is a plan View of one form of drive Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view longitudinally through the form shown in Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a plan view of another form of link.

Figure 8 is a sectional side elevational view taken approximately on the line 88 of Figure '7.

Referring in detail to the drawings the numerals 5, 6, and i refer severally to adjacent tenter clips, the specific form of which is not necessary to qualify the present invention. Each of the tenter clips includes a base portion which generally flat and horizontal and is provided with a pair of vertical openings 9 to receive the pins Ill, ll of the slide link member generally designated l2. As seen in Figure 3 the pins H], II extend upwardly into the body portion I3 of the tenter clips which may be removed therefrom without disturbing or breaking the continuity of the chain.

The pins H], II are mounted rigidly at longitudinally spaced centralized points on the plate I4. As indicated in Figure 3 each of the pins has a reduced shank portion l5 which is located in a reduced opening in the plate M. On the bottom side of the plate I4 is a beveled opening i6 which receives the swedged or riveted portion ll of the shank I5, this arrangement securely locking the pins to the plate 14, thereby forming 5 the slide link member [2.

In accordance with the present invention each of the pins I0, I I has a vertical lubricant passage 18 which has below its upper end a lateral branch 19 which opens through its side as shown in Figures 3 and. 4, that is, at the side facing the wall of the track which is generally designated 20, in Figure 3.

Although any suitable form of drive link may have one end engaged on one of the pins In, H and its opposite end engaged with a similar pin on a neighboring slide link member I2, I prefer to utilize for their superior advantages, the forms of links shown in Figures 5, 6 and 'l, 8 respectively.

In the form of links shown in Figures 5 and 6 a solid body 21 has the dumb-bell shape shown in Figure 5 and the generally rectangular cross section indicated in Figure 3. At either expanded end there is provided a vertical opening 22 to receive pins on neighboring slide link members l2 as indicated in Figure 1 and also in Figure .2. It will be obvious that the bottom side of the drive link 2| rests and turns upon the upper side of the plate I4 of the slide link members, and that its upper side supports and turns against the underside of the plate or body portion of the tenter clip, as shown in Figure 3.

Leading along the major portion of an intermediate point of the inner face of the drive link 35 2|, which is straight, is the lubricant chamber 23 which has at each end an angularly disposed duct 24 which leads from the chamber 23 into the side of the openings 22. These features are clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6. 40

Threaded into an opening 25 in the floor of the track 20 is the tube 26 in which is arranged a wick 2'! that reaches the top of the tube 26 and supplies lubricant to the lower ends of the passages [8 which lead up into the pins III, II. The lubricant climbs upwardly in the passages l8 and some of the lubricant will pass laterally through the lateral passages l9 and find its way between the walls of the drive link openings 22 and the sides of the pins II], II thereby lubricating the contacts of these parts. Similarly some of the lubricant issuing from the lateral branch I9 of the pins will pass into the ducts 24 of the drivelink, and accumulate in the chamber 23 was to be distributed along the rail 28" of" the track, and thereby lubricate the contact of the wall of the track and the inner face of the drive links. It will be obvious that lubricant will pass between the wall 28 and the inner face of the drive link to further lubricate the contact of the bottom of the slide link member plate I4 and the floor of the track, which is already lubricated by the lubricant which is dragged by the passage of the chain across the floor of the track in which the wicks protrude.

The second form of link to which the present invention relates embodies rollers which further decrease the friction element in the operation of devices oi this kind with the vertical wall of.

the rail. Each of the links as shown in Figure '7 and Figure 8 comprises an upper plate 30 and a lower plate 3| which are spaced and also connected by tubular members 32 which act; also as journals or bearings for the rollers 33 which ride on the vertical wall of the rail. a

As shown in Figure 8 each of the spacer bearings 32 comprises a tubular shell 34 having reduced end portions 35 defining shoulders for engaging the inner faces of the plates 30, 3|. The outer ends of the, reduced portions 35 are swedged or riveted in countersunk portions of the opening in which the reduced ends are located so as to anchor the reduced ends in the plates 30, 3| and hold the rollers 33 in the desired relation.

It will be observed that the peripheries of the rollers 33 are substantially flush with the rounded ends of the plates 30, 3| and that they roll against the track wall instead of presenting the fixed inner face which is presented by the,

first described form, thereby reducing the friction with the track wall 28 which is present in the, first described form of drive link. The lubrication of the pins by the wicks 21 as in the first described drive link form is present, inthis drive link form except as to the trough or chamber 23 which is possessed by the first described formand not by the presently described form.

From the construction of the chain as shown in the drawings and heretofore described, it is seen that the slide links l2 support the drive 'by the drive links pivoted on the pins :carried links on their respective pins, and the tenter clips are slidably mounted on the pinsattached to the slide links. Since the slide links carry the entire weight of the chain, which is driven by the slide links, the parts of the slide links are subjected to the greatest amount of wear, but to. distribute this wear. over a considerable surface, the plates M of the slide links have considerable surface on the machine track. Since the tenter clips may be readily removed by pulling them ofi the pins of the slide links, thereby enabling the drive links themselves to be easily removed, renewals of the slide links may be very'readily accomplished with aminimum, expense, because thereon become worn, or adjustments need to' the slide links, with their pins, are of a simple character and are the least expensive parts of the'entire chain; However, should a clip become broken in-use or otherwise"damaged, or; parts be made, the-clip may be readily replaced by another Without disturbing the continuity of the chain, and without holding up the operation of the machine, as the clip may be replaced even While the machine is in operation. Thisrenewable'clipfeature is an important part of my inv'ention.

Although I have shown and described. herein preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to.

be definitely understood that I do not desire to tenter clip carried by the chain, said chain comprising at leastthree longitudinally spaced plates riding on saidfioor, the adjacent ends of said plates each having a pin rising therefrom thereby forming a slide link, a drive link lying across the space between the adjacent ends of each pair of said plates and resting thereon, the links being thereby spaced, each drive link being providedin each end with a vertical hole there through receiving the respective one of said pins, the upper ends of said pins rising above the top of the link and removably engaging said tenter clip which is adapted to slide over said pins, said pins having vertical and lateral passages therein, the lateral passages opening through the side of the pins, the said floor of the track being provided with lubricant supply means supplying lubricant to the open lower end of said vertical passages formed in said pins, said lateral passages carrying the lubricant to the exterior surfaces of the pins, each of the said vertical holes of the drive links having a lateral passage leading to a reservoir recess in the rail-engaging side of the drive links, the radially inward ends of said lateral passages being registrable with the radially outward ends of said branches so as to be in communication for exchanging lubricant therebetween.

2 In a tentering machine having a track with a confining rail andprovided in its floor with lubricant supply means, a continuous chain com: posed of drive links connected together by slide links and resting thereon, means rockably consupply means in its floor, a chain arranged to slide on said floor and be confined by said rail, said chain being composed of drive links connected together by slide links, opposite ends of each drive. link being rockably connected to the respective ends of the slide links, lubricant passage means in the ends of the slide links having their lower ends fed by said lubricant supply means and having a lateral branch discharging to lubricate the points of engagement of the connected ends of the drive links'and slide links as Well as the floor and the confining rail of said track, and lubricant reservoir means on the track wall engaging a side of said slidelinks and in communication with said. lateral passage means for directly lubricating the pointsof errhaving a pair of spindles fastened thereto,a

drive link having one end portion bored to rockably receive one of said spindles, a second drive link having one end portion bored to ro'ckably receive the remaining one of said spindles, said drive link having a lateral lubricant duct leading from each of said bores through the side of the link, each spindle being provided with a lubricant passage leading up from the bottom of the spindle and having a lateral-branch opening through the side of the spindle in feeding relation to the inner end of each of said lubricant ducts, and means on said machine for supplying lubricant to the lower end of said passage.

5. A continuous chain for a tenter machine including slide and drive links alternately arranged, and tenter clips carried by said chain, the slide links comprising flat plates of suitable metal to ride on the track of the machine and having pins permanently secured near each end and projecting from the same side thereof, the drive links spanning the gap between the adjacent slide links and resting on said slide links and having holes therein to receive the pins on the ends of said adjacent slide links, said pins extending through and beyond the drive links, said tenter clips having holes therein for loosely embracing said pin extensions, thereby allowing the clips to be removed therefrom without disturbing the pins and breaking the continuity of the chain while the chain is in operation.

6. A continuous chain for a tenter machine including slide and drive links and tenter clips carried by said chain, the slide links comprising flat plates of suitable metal to ride on the track of the machine and of a length approximately the same as the length of a clip along the chain, pins permanently secured to opposite ends of said plates and extending from the same side thereof to receive a tenter clip without applying a driving strain thereto, the drive links spanning across two adjacent plates between the plates and the respective clips and being pivoted on the end pins of adjacent plates, said clips having holes therein for slidably embracing said pin extension whereby said clips are removable from the chain by pulling them off said pins without disturbing the pins and without breaking the continuity of the chain while the chain is in operation.

7. In a continuous chain for a tenter machine including clips carried thereby which have holes therein to receive pins, means for preventing any driving strain on the clips and allowing the clips to be removed while the machine is in operation, said means comprising alternately arranged slide and drive links interlinked by pins permanently fastened to the slide links and extending through the drive links which rest on adjacent ends of the slide links and being pivoted on said pins, the pins of each slide link extending beyond the drive links sufliciently so a tenter clip can be readily pushed onto and pulled ofif the pins, the slide links acting to support the entire chain on the track of the machine.

8. A continuous chain for a tenter machine comprising alternately arranged slide and drive links interlinked by pins fastened to the slide links and extending through the drive links which rest on adjacent ends of the slide links and being pivoted on said pins, the pins of each slide link extending beyond the drive links sufficiently so a tenter clip can be pushed onto and pulled off the pins without breaking the chain, the slide links acting to support the entire chain on the track of the machine, and means for lubricating said pins and the track engaging face of the drive links through the pins, they being hollow and provided with means for picking up lubricant from that face of the slide link engaging the track.

CHARLES H. WEBER. 

